Milwaukee County’s goal is to enrich your life by providing essential services that meet your needs and those of your family, neighbors, co-workers and friends.
We enhance the quality of life in Milwaukee County through great public service.
Milwaukee County is home to over 950,000 people living in one of 19 communities, which range in size from the City of Milwaukee, with 595,000 residents, to the Village of River Hills, with roughly 1,600 residents.
Still a manufacturing stronghold, the region features 16 Fortune 1000 companies and thousands of others in the financial services, medical device, hospitality and retailing industries.
Find information about things to do and happenings in Milwaukee County.
The history of the Purple Heart dates to General George Washington in 1782, during the Revolutionary War. The Badge of Merit, a cloth purple heart with the word “merit” stitched across it in white was created to recognize heroic acts by his troops. As the war ended, so did the Badge of Merit. In 1932, on Washington’s 200th birthday, the modern medal of the Purple Heart was established under US Army Chief of Staff Douglas MacArthur. Still awarded for meritorious service, it now included those soldiers wounded by the enemy. Congress changed the rules in 1942, dropping heroic acts, adding killed in action, removing meritorious service as a qualifier, and the last change authorized the Navy to award the PH to Navy, Marine and Coast Guard personnel.
To honor and recognize the service and sacrifice that our Wisconsin Purple Heart recipients made, born was the Milwaukee County Purple Heart Pass. In 2013, the program was established by Former County Executive Chris Abele and Veteran Services. The pass, a small token of gratitude, allows for passholders plus a guest to access venues/attractions across the counties of Wisconsin for free. The program started with 8 participating venues and has grown to over 20 today. We are always looking for more to join us. If you are a business or know of a business and would like to participate please contact us at 414-266-1232.
To date there are over 650 passholders. Share the information, encourage your fellow Purple Heart recipients to sign up. There is no cost to be a member. You must be a Wisconsin resident and a Purple Heart award recipient. The application is simple and requires only a WI driver’s license or WI state identification card along with documentation of the PH award (DD-214 or permanent order).
Purple Heart Pass Application
Have questions, or need more information? Call us at 414-266-1234.
Milwaukee County
Winnebago County
Kenosha County
Brown County
Clark County
Manitowoc County
Buffalo County
Harley-Davidson Museum
Milwaukee Art Museum
Milwaukee Public Museum
Milwaukee County Zoo
Discovery World
Boerner Botanical Gardens & Mitchell Park Domes
EAA Museum in Oshkosh
Civil War Museum in Kenosha
Neville Public Museum
Brown County NEW Zoo
Green Bay Botanical Gardens
Green Bay Gamblers games
Blizzard football games, Brown County Golf Course (9 holes/season)
Green Bay Packer Hall of Fame (starting summer of 2015)
Free boat launches at all Brown County public launch sites
The Highground Veterans Memorial Park in Neillsville, free tours to the passholder and guests.
Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc, free admission year-round to the passholder and one guest.
Elmer's Auto and Toy Museum in Fountain City, free admission to the passholder and one guest. (The museum is open weekends only, May through September)
1220 W. Vliet St.
Suite 301
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53205
Together, creating healthy communities.
Empowering safe, healthy, meaningful lives.
Partnership, Respect, Integrity,
Diversity, Excellence